Wagon.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

W. I. BROWN.

WAGON.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26,1905.

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cally above t WASHINGTON I. BROWN, OF CLINTON, MAINE.

WAGON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed April 26, 1905. erial No. 257,435.

and other wheeled vehicles, and has for its purpose to provide a construction by which the work required to draw the wagon or carriagemay be greatly diminished.

The invention consists in the improved construction which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a wagon provided with theimproved features embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the wagon shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

1 represents a wheel-frame to which are connected in the usual manner the rear and front axles 2 4, respectively, the forward axle 4 being pivotally connected in the usual manner to the wheel-frame, so as to be capable of turning laterally with respect thereto.

5 is the wagon-body, which instead of being supported on the axles, as is the usual construction, rests upon the upper portions of the wheels, receiving its sole support there from, and is provided with antifriction means which bear directly against the wheel-rims and reduce the friction when the wagon is moved. These antifriction means are mounted in frames 6 7, which are connected to the body 5, and are arranged in such relation as to engage the rear and front wheels 8 9, respectively, there being two of each of said frames, separated laterally by the width between the wheels. The frames 6, which are engaged with the rear wheels, may be rigidly connected to the body, while the frames 7 are rigidly connected to each other across the wagon by a cross tie or bar 10, which is pivotally attached to the body in the usual manner by a center-pin or king-bolt 11 and a circular horizontal bearing or fifth-wheel 12. The pivotal oint of the frames 7 is vertifiat of the forward axle, and the center-pin 11 extends from one to the other and serves as the pivot for both.

The antifriction means consist of compound rollers 13, of which there are a plurality, preferably three, mounted in each of the frames. These rollers are made up of annular rims or bands 14, surrounding pins 15, fixed in the frame and heldin a concentric non-frictional relation to said center-pins by means of rolls 16, which surround the pins and engage with their peripheries, and also with the inner surfaces of the rims. The outer surfaces 17 of the rims are preferably cylindrical and are adapted to rest upon and engage the tires 18 of the respective wheels and are provided with external side flanges 19, which project over the sides of the tires and wheel-rims, and also with internal flanges 20, which project inwardly over the ends of the rolls16 and hold the latter in place. The

various rollers 13 are arranged in the frames with their axes of rotation on' arcs concentric with the wheels wherewith they engage, so that all of the rollers rest upon the wheels and each takes its portion of the weight. Mud guards or scrapers 21 are fixed upon the rear ends of the several frames and project downwardly below and behind the rearmost roller of each frame into engagement with the wheels to prevent mud from fouling the rollers.

It will be noted that each of the pins 15 has a portion of that side which is diametrically opposite from the wagon-wheel cut away to form a flat recessed surface 22. This is for the purpose of freeing the rolls 16 and allowing them to run more easily. The portions of the pins in the lines of thrust on the sides toward the wheel with which they are used are cylindrical, and these portions bear all the thrust which is communicated from the wagon-body, while the upper portions of the pins, if continued cylindrical, would bear no part ofthe weight. They would, however, wedge tightly against the rolls 16 and cause them to bind, preventing them from running. YVith the pins cut away on the sides opposite their bearing ortions, however, the rolls 16 are able to y1eld and shift, so that they can run freely and easily. If desired, the portions of the rollers which engage the wheels-that is, the surfaces 17 of rims 14- may be covered with vulcanized rubber to diminish shocks and noise.

The frames are held and are prevented from jumping off from the wheels when going over bumps and rough places by means of tie members 23, connected to the frames and to the axles, while they are held in proper lateral position and prevented from slipping off sidewise by inclined tie members 24, connected near the middle of the axles. The tie members 23 may be connected either at the central parts of the frames or may be inclined and connected to the forward and rear parts thereof, according as may be desirable.

A draft appliance 25 is connected to the crossbar and consists of a whiffletree 26, hung from a hook 27, fastened to the crossbar. As shown here, there is a single whiffletree, the wagon being adapted for a single draft-animal; but it is obvious that two or more draft appliances may be connected in the usual in anner for doubleteaming.

28 represents shafts connected to the forward axle and extending rigidly forward, which are adapted to be connected to the harness of a draft-animal in the usual manner to serve as guiding means by which the front axle may be turned and the wagon guided. When a double draft connection is used, the central pole may be substituted for the shafts in the usual and well-known manner.

By having the draft appliance connected to the wagon-body instead of to the front axle, as is usually the case, the line of draft is applied at a level as high as or higher than the top of the wheels, by which a more effective draft may be secured. The structure herein described results in diminished friction and resistance to the pull of the draft-animal, and thus greatly increases the work which may be done by the expenditure of the same amount of energy heretofore required.

The foregoing invention is not limited in its application to wagons, as it may be used with any vehicle, car, 860., to which an external draft is applied and may even be connected to wheelbarrows or push-carts.

I claim 1. A wagon having the sole support for its body portion on the upper portions of the wheel-rims, antifriction means between the wheel-rims and body having a roller-bearing connection with the body and in rolling engagement with the wheel-rims, and provisions for applying the draft to the wagon above the wheels. 1

2. A wagon having the sole support for its body portion on the upper portions of the wheelrims, antifriction means between the wheel-rims and body having a roller-bearing connection with the body and in rolling engagement with the wheel-rims, means for retaining said antifriction means in engagement with the wheels, and provisions for applying the draft to the wagon above the wheels.

3. A wagon comprising a wheel-frame including an angularly-movable front axle and wheels connected to said frame, means con nected to the axle whereby the same may be turned, a body, roller-frames, and rollers carried thereby having an antifriction-roller connection therewith arranged to rest upon the several wheels of the wagon, the rollerframes for the forward wheels being pivotally connected to the wagon-body and connected to the front axle to turn therewith.

4. A wagon comprising a wheel-frame including an angularly-movable front axle and wheels connected to said frame, means connected to the axle whereby the same may be turned, a body, roller-frames, and rollers car ried thereby having an antifriction-roller connection therewith arranged to rest upon the several wheels of the wagon, the roller-frames for the rear wheels being rigidly connected to the wagon-body and those for the forward wheels being pivotally connected to the body and havingconnections with the front axle whereby turning of the latter causes said roller-frames to turn therewith.

5. A wagon comprising a body, a plurality of sets of rollers carried by said body and arranged to rest on the upper portions of the peripheries of the wheels of the wagon, said rollers constituting the sole support for the body and scrapers mounted in rear of each of said sets of rollers engaging the rims of the wheels.

6. In a wagon, a body, frames located at the rear thereof and rigidly secured thereto, a pair of frames secured to each other and pivotally connected to the forward part of the body, the several frames being arranged in the same relative positions as the wheels of the wagon, and rollers rotatably mounted in antifriction-roller engagement with said frames and adapted to engage the rims of the wagon-wheels.

7. In a wagon, a frame, rollers carried by the frame and arranged to engage and rest on one of the wheels of the wagon, and a scraper connected to the frame and engaging the wheel-rim in rear of the rollers.

8. In a wagon, a frame, and rollers mounted in the frame, comprising annular rims, the outer surfaces of which are adapted to engage the rim of one of the wagon-wheels, pins rigidly mounted in the frame, and antifriction means arranged between said pins and rims, engaging the peripheries of the pins and the inner surfaces of the rims.

9. In a wagon, a frame, and rollers mounted in the frame, each of said rollers consisting of an annular rim adapted to engage the rim of one of the wagon-wheels, a pin rigidly mounted in the frame having the side away from the wagon-wheel flattened, and rolls between the pin and rim engaging the periphery of the pin and the inner surface of the mm.

10. A roller-bearing for wagons consisting of a pin rigidly mounted, rolls concentrically arranged about the pin in engagement with the periphery thereof, and an outer annular rim or band surrounding the rolls and in engagement therewith, said rim or band being adapted to engage the rim of one of the wagon-wheels.

11. A roller-bearing for wagons consisting of a pin rigidly mounted, rolls concentrically arranged about the pin in engagement with the periphery thereof, and an outer annular rim or band surrounding the rolls and in engagement therewith, said rim or band being adapted to engage the rim of one of the wagon-wheels and having external and internal flanges to project over the sides of the wheel-rim and the ends of the rolls respectively.

12. A roller-bearing forwagons consisting of a pin rigidly mounted having a portion above its axis removed to form a flat surface, rolls concentrically arranged about the pin in engagement with the lower portion of the periphery thereof, and an outer annular rim or band surrounding the rolls and in engagement therewith, said rim or band being adapted to engage the rim of one of the wagonwheels.

In testimony whereof I have afiiXed my 2 5 signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WASHINGTON 1. BROWN. Witnesses MAURIoE A. KENDALL, HENRY F. WALnRoN. 

